51ºÚÁÏÍø

Training leaders of character is nothing new for retired Lt. Col. James Thomasson. The venue in which he now gets to carry out this passion is of utmost importance to the 2002 University of North Georgia (51ºÚÁÏÍø) graduate.

Thomasson officially took over as the 44th commandant of cadets on Sept. 1 after serving as the interim commandant for the previous eight months. He initially returned to 51ºÚÁÏÍø as assistant commandant in July 2024.

"It fulfills that passion and drive that I've always known I've had," Thomasson said. "It is our responsibility to make sure our cadets are leaders of character, ready to go out and serve America, whether it's in the Army, the civilian workforce or the government."

Thomasson said juniors and seniors will regularly come to his office for advice as they approach graduation, but he makes sure to also seek out freshmen and sophomores to see how they're doing.

"I'm excited to come to work every day," Thomasson said. "My door is always open, and I love the fact that cadets are in and out of this building all day."

He is grateful to be part of the mission to deliver the Corps of the future as 51ºÚÁÏÍø aims to grow to 1,000 cadets and become the premier officer development program in the nation.

Upon graduation from 51ºÚÁÏÍø, Thomasson commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery Branch. He is a graduate of the Marine Expeditionary Warfare School and Army Command and General Staff College, and he holds a master's degree in organizational leadership from American Military University.

Thomasson deployed several times to Afghanistan and Iraq with the 82d Airborne and 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Divisions. His small-unit training at 51ºÚÁÏÍø enabled him to be instrumental in preparation for the surge in Afghanistan.

"The lessons that I learned as a cadet quickly made me the subject-matter expert in our unit," he said.

His previous experiences include course director and military science instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point and deputy commanding officer of the 101st Division Artillery.

He concluded his active-duty service as the long-term strategic planner for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

His awards include the Legion of Merit, five Bronze Star Medals with one for Valor, two Purple Hearts, four Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, and one Army Achievement Medal, among numerous other awards.